Williamsburg-James City County schools in recent years have launched after-school "Challenge Clubs," such as cooking clubs, as part of its School Health Initiative Program, or SHIP for short.

SHIP, with funding from the Williamsburg Community Health Foundation, aims to combat childhood obesity and improve health and wellness by promoting healthy eating and physical activity. Other challenge clubs have included running, basketball, volleyball, dance, martial arts and yoga.

Cooking clubs are open to all students, but in some cases physical education teachers, counselors and teachers identify students who would be good candidates, said Pam Dannon, a registered dietitian.

One day last week, the club broke into two groups. One headed to the kitchen; the other played nutrition-oriented games until it was their turn to make snacks.

In the kitchen, cafeteria worker Jo Smith showed them how to chop green onions. Then came romaine lettuce.

"I'm going to show you all how to shred lettuce," Smith said, as the kids eagerly watched.

"They love to cook," Smith said. "They don't get to do this too much at home, I think. They're learning things they can do at home."

After the kids piled on toppings, Smith and Altizer showed them how to roll the burritos up.

"Tuck the sides in and roll it up," Altizer instructed.

It wasn't like burritos Khalil had eaten before.

"I had it from Taco Bell, but it wasn't like this," the eighth-grader said between bites. "It is amazing."

The cooking clubs meet once a week for about seven or eight weeks. At the end, the Toano club will break into teams and prepare an entrée for a panel of judges. Entrées include barbecue chicken pizza, veggie burgers and meatballs in "Strange Sauce" — a sauce made from ketchup and grape jelly.

"I think it's a really good, teachable moment," Dannon said. "So much of the snacks they get at home are out of a box. Lunchables does not a snack make."

Kids seem to be able to identify the vegetables they cook with, Altizer said. "They just don't know what to do with them."

They also don't know about healthy portion sizes. "They always want more, especially of the stuff they shouldn't have," she said.

She loves hearing the kids report back to her when they try to make recipes at home.